The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-03-04
School All The Year Round.
Communicated.

Communicated.
In recent issue of the JOURNAL we no
ticed the Cecil Ne,rs advocated compulsory
go.to-school laws. This is very good but it
would seem absurd TO compel parents to
send their children to school where there
was none nearly one half of the time. In
our Judgment there ought to be school all
the year round, vacations not excepted, and
we propose to show good cause for this.
Every district in our county is dotted
with comfortable school houses which are
generally situated in a pleasant, shady
grove through which ge ntle breeze passes
in the warmest weather, but the school
is closed and the children who
ought to be at school are running
wild as it were, fishing aud swimming
sometimes until their backs are blIstered by
the sun. Would they not be better off if
kept at SCHOOL,
There are many parents who reside one
or two miles from the school house who
have small children whom they de-
sire to send but are prevented from so do
ing in winter because of rough weather,
whereas if we had school all the year
these little ones could gain in summer what
they lost in winter, but as it now is child
is permitted to go to school a few weeks in
the spring and by the time il begins to
learn something the school is closed for the
summer And when school begins again
our children have forgotten all they have
learned. But we send them &gain and by
the time they get to where they were study
ing, cold weather prevents their going any
longer and before we know what we are
about our children are almost grown up
with little or no education. If we spend
an hour or two in the school room we will
see the bad effects of this mo show bns-
ness" In class of little ones we see girls
and hoys twelve or fifteen years old being
spelled down by these little ones which
shows they have not been to school as much
as they should have been. There are many
their children properly in winter, hence
they are prevented from attending school;
not SO however in summer because they can
20 70 school barefooted and if need be, with
out coats but there is no school then and
the poor children are thus debarred from
obtaining an education. In the large cities
it has been deemed best TO discontinue
school during the warm weather for fear of
endangering the health Of the pupils, but in
the country in such pleasant school rooms
as we have there is nothing to fear from
such source.
Children of poor parents could (if we had
schools all the year) go from the time they
are seven until they would be twelve years
of age which would enable them to secure
fair education, but as it now is there are
countless numbers of persons who can't read
or write, then there are others who can
read and write sentence if time enough is
given them, they can also do small sums in
addition and satisfaction and that is all
We think teachers should instruct their pu-
pills how to ascertain the time of day, as
we know of some people who are on the
shady side of life who can't tell the time
by watch or clock. There are many par
ents 10 doubt who are Indifferent about
sending their children to school when in
position to do so. This is to be regretted.
There are many who can read yet are en-
tirely ignorant of what is going on, because
they take no papers We know man who
had not heard of the great earthquake at
Charlestown until a month after, and we
venture to say there are some people who
are still ignorant of the fact.
All the year round keep open the schools
Lest our children grow up as ignorant
as fools.